Västerbotten Cheese Pie (Västerbottenostpaj)
Västerbottenostpaj Say it: VES-ter-bot-ten-oost-pie
Västerbottenostpaj is the savoury cheese pie of northern Sweden, named for the county and its famous hard, slightly grainy cow's-milk cheese. A buttery shortcrust tart is filled with grated Västerbottenost and a soft egg-and-cream custard, then baked until puffed and deeply golden. It is a fixture on Swedish buffets, midsummer tables and café counters, eaten warm or at room temperature. The flavour is rich, salty and nutty with a faint tang, and a spoon of cloudberry jam or a mound of roe on top makes it sing.
Västerbotten Cheese Pie (Västerbottenostpaj)
Västerbottenostpaj
Pronounced VES-ter-bot-ten-oost-pie
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the crust
For the filling
Method
Put the flour and salt in a bowl, add the cold butter cubes and rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized lumps left.
Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of ice water, then bring the dough together with a fork and then your hands; add the second spoonful of water only if it stays crumbly. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 11 inches (28 cm) across and line a 9-inch (23 cm) tart tin, pressing it into the fluted edge and trimming the overhang.
Prick the base all over with a fork, line with parchment and baking weights (or dry beans) and blind bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are set and pale gold. Lift out the paper and weights.
Scatter half of the grated cheese over the warm base. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a jug until smooth, then pour over the cheese and scatter the rest of the cheese on top.
Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard is just set with a slight wobble in the centre and the top is golden and bubbling at the edges.
Let the pie rest in the tin for 10 minutes before releasing the ring. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.
Regional variants
Some cooks fold sautéed chanterelles or a little finely chopped onion into the custard before baking. In northern Sweden it is classically served with a spoonful of löjrom (whitefish roe) and crème fraîche instead of jam.
Cook's notes
- Keep the butter cold and handle the dough briefly, or the crust will shrink in the tin.
- Grate the cheese coarsely so it melts into nutty pockets rather than dissolving completely.
- Pull the pie out while the centre still wobbles slightly; it firms up as it cools.
Serve with
Cloudberry jam or löjrom with crème fraîche, and a crisp salad or a glass of pale ale.
Make ahead and storage
Bake up to a day ahead, cool, cover and refrigerate; reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes or serve cold. It also freezes well for up to a month.
